Volume 1, Chapter 25 – He’s Already Been Spotted

If they were going to the county town, Huang Qi naturally couldn’t wear the same dress as before—that would be no different from exposing himself. So, using the excuse of changing clothes, he specifically asked his mother for a set of coarse peasant women’s garments and swapped the delicate silk veil on his face for a plain cloth scrap. Only then was he properly prepared.

Of course, in these times, traveling far required more than just a change of clothes—they also needed an essential item: a protective talisman. The problem was, the Huang family only had one left, and deciding who among the three of them should carry it became a dilemma.

Huang Qi wouldn’t call himself the most filial son, but he wasn’t so heartless as to think only of himself. Naturally, he wanted his parents to wear it. Besides, he was now a cultivator—even if only at the entry level—so his physical condition was at least slightly better than an ordinary person’s.

Huang Kairong and his wife, however, felt the opposite. How could they take advantage of their “daughter-in-law”?

Just as the three of them were locked in debate, another villager unexpectedly dropped by—a middle-aged man named Dong Qiang.

“Brother Huang! I heard you went to buy rice and flour yesterday?”

After a few pleasantries, Dong Qiang suddenly brought up the subject.

“Yes, we were out of food, so we had to risk going to the county town. Luckily, we didn’t run into any demons or ghosts.”

Huang Kairong answered casually, though he couldn’t figure out what the man was getting at.

“Even if you had, it wouldn’t have mattered! Didn’t your daughter-in-law give you a protective talisman? What ghost or demon would dare come near?”

Dong Qiang glanced at Huang Qi with flattery.

“You’re quite well-informed.”

Huang Kairong smiled noncommittally.

Huang Qi shook his head helplessly. The ignorance of the fearless! The lowest-grade Disciple-level talisman could at most ward off lingering spirits—against truly powerful ghosts and demons, it was useless.

“Brother Huang, could you sell me some of your rice and flour? My family’s also out of food—the elderly and children are waiting for their next meal. I’ll pay you the same price you bought it for in town.”

Dong Qiang laughed awkwardly before making his shameless request out of nowhere.

“What?”

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The Huang family nearly laughed in disbelief at the sheer audacity. They risked their lives to buy this food, and he has the nerve to ask to buy it at cost? How is that any different from freeloading?

Huang Kairong hesitated, wanting to refuse but finding it hard to outright reject a fellow villager.

“Brother Dong, you must be joking! I remember when my father-in-law’s birthday came around, you sold us over ten pounds of rice. How could your family possibly be out of food now?”

Li Fen’s voice dripped with sarcasm. As a woman, she wasn’t as concerned with saving face.

Huang Qi also smirked inwardly. This guy has the makings of a swindler—trying to squeeze a petty profit out of his family!

“Ah, back then, I only did it because you were truly in a bind!”

Dong Qiang feigned magnanimity.

“Sorry, but the rice and flour my husband bought are just enough for our own family. We have none to spare.”

Seeing that this man had no shame, Li Fen outright refused.

“Come on, sister-in-law! My family really is starving. We’re all neighbors—surely you can’t bear to see our children and elderly go hungry?”

Dong Qiang shamelessly persisted.

“Hah! Serves you right for being so greedy!”

Old Man Huang Xinghu, standing nearby, openly cursed. As an elder, he had no reservations about speaking his mind.

But Dong Qiang paid no heed, continuing to pester them. It seemed his family truly had nothing left to eat.

Before long, two more villagers arrived, also seeking to borrow or buy grain.

Huang Qi was speechless. These people previously sold their grain to them at inflated prices when they saw how desperate they were. Now that they’re out of food, they want to buy it back at cost? Since when does the world work that way?

At first, Huang Kairong and his wife firmly refused. But as more and more villagers gathered outside their door to watch the commotion, the pressure of public opinion began to wear them down. After all, these were their neighbors—they couldn’t afford to be too ruthless.

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Seeing things take a bad turn, Huang Qi stepped forward to take charge.

“Neighbors, our family truly doesn’t have any extra grain to sell! If you’re really out of food, why not follow my father’s example and go to the county town to buy some?”

Huang Qi questioned them bluntly.

“Niece, we don’t have any protective talismans—how could we dare go to town?”

“Yeah, even the cheapest talisman costs a tael of silver and only lasts twelve hours. How could we country folk afford that?”

“We know we’re being unreasonable, but we’re truly desperate. That’s why we’re begging for your help.”

The villagers groaned in distress.

Looking at their familiar faces, Huang Qi felt utterly exasperated. These villagers weren’t bad people at heart—their only flaw was that poverty had made them petty and stingy.

Huang Kairong and his wife glanced at their “daughter-in-law,” their expressions growing increasingly conflicted.

“Neighbors, I know times are hard, but no matter how difficult, you must find a way to overcome it. Otherwise, how long can we keep helping you? Many of you are still hoping to find wives—if you can’t even solve your own food problems, what family would be willing to marry their daughters to you?”

Huang Qi showed no mercy, his words striking like a hammer. As the “unmarried daughter-in-law”, he wasn’t afraid of offending anyone.

The villagers lowered their heads in shame. Of course, they understood this logic—but in these harsh times, ordinary people had no options.

“You may not have money for talismans, but you do have yang energy! Why not gather a group and travel to town together? A large crowd emits strong yang energy, and ghosts and demons won’t dare approach. Surely you all know this?”

Huang Qi then proposed a solution.

The villagers exchanged glances. Someone had suggested this before, but there were always those too cowardly to join, so the plan never materialized.

Huang Qi understood the reason—it all came down to a lack of a respected figure to rally everyone. Today, for the sake of Huatian Village, he was willing to take on that role. And his identity as a “wealthy young lady” gave him the authority to do so.

“Neighbors, I’ll be honest—we only have one protective talisman, but our family of three is still going to town today. If you’re truly out of food, you’re welcome to come with us. If this trip goes smoothly, you can use this method in the future, and your problems will be solved.”

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Huang Qi raised his voice, his high-pitched feminine tone carrying far despite its softness.

The villagers were visibly moved. After all, Huang Qi’s status as a “rich young lady” lent his words credibility.

“Sister-in-law, you’re going to town? Then I’ll come with you!”

“Me too! My family’s also out of food—might as well bring some back.”

He Chao and Liu Keqian were the first to speak up. With their lead, the other villagers finally gave in.

“Count me in! If a proper young lady isn’t afraid, how can us country bumpkins fear death?”

“That’s right! Ever since we started living close together, there’ve been fewer incidents. It proves that ghosts really don’t dare come near when there are more people.”

“Let’s risk it! If we don’t try now, we’ll just be trapped in Huatian Village until we starve.”

The villagers shouted passionately.

Huang Qi smiled in satisfaction. These neighbors might be stingy, but at least they’re reasonable.

“What kind of fairy daughter-in-law is this?”

Huang Kairong and his wife exchanged glances, their pride impossible to hide. They never dreamed such an awkward situation could be resolved so effortlessly—and not only had their “daughter-in-law” helped the villagers, but she’d also helped their own family. It was killing two birds with one stone.

“Alright, since everyone’s decided, please spread the word house by house. Each family that needs to buy something should send one person. If you don’t go this time, it won’t be so easy next time.”

Huang Kairong stepped forward to organize.

“We’ll spread the word!”

He Chao and Liu Keqian volunteered eagerly.

Before long, over thirty villagers had gathered outside the Huang residence, the atmosphere lively. From their conversations, it was clear many weren’t actually planning to buy anything—they were just there to bolster the group’s yang energy. After all, everyone knew that if they chickened out now, joining later would be much harder.

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Seeing this, Huang Qi felt a glimmer of hope. If everyone learns to unite, won’t better days follow?

“Hmph! Not a single person from Huang Kaiyou’s family showed up.”

Huang Kairong snorted coldly.

“To each their own. We can’t force them.”

Huang Qi shrugged it off before addressing the crowd. “Alright, let’s set off!”

With a wave of his “delicate hand”, Huang Qi led the way out of the village, his parents following closely behind. Dozens of villagers marched in a grand procession, most armed with knives, spears, or clubs. Though these weapons were useless against ghosts, they at least provided psychological comfort.

Once outside the village, the temperature dropped further. Due to the heavy yin energy, the mountains were perpetually shrouded in mist, the sun nowhere to be seen.

Huang Qi appeared calm on the surface, but internally, he was tense. As a cultivator, he knew human yang energy was weak—no matter how many people gathered, it could only repel the lowest-level wandering spirits. If they encountered something powerful, at his current level, he wouldn’t just fail to protect others—he couldn’t even guarantee his own safety.

Fortunately, the journey went smoothly, and by noon, the group arrived at the western gate of the county town.

The villagers were thrilled—this proved that “strength in numbers” really worked.

Huang Qi, however, didn’t dare relax. While others only needed to avoid ghosts, he also had to avoid the Honghua Sect.

“Everyone, go buy what you need. We’ll regroup here in one hour—it’s not safe to return too late.”

After organizing the villagers, Huang Kairong finally led his family toward the county office.

The moment he entered the town, Huang Qi nervously scanned his surroundings, afraid of spotting any Honghua Sect disciples. Though his veil made recognition unlikely, he didn’t want to risk exposure.

The family of three soon reached the county office. Huang Kairong explained their purpose to the guards and was led inside.

Little did Huang Qi know, at that very moment, a pair of striking, dark-eyed eyes had already locked onto him from the street.